Hotel
by StarryNightengale88
Summary: While in STL gathering evidence on an arsonsist, Calleigh learns how Ryan deals with the calamities they see on the job and how he really feels about her. Ryan, in turn gets closer to her. I made Then the Morning Comes chapter 2 in this story. CHAP 6 UP!
1. Chapter 1

Hotel

Ryan swipes his keycard and enters his room- 212, while at the room next door, 214, Calleigh does the same. They each close their doors behind them after entering. Calleigh sets her suitcase on the spare bed in her room, kicks off her shoes while taking her hair out of the ponytail she's had since this morning, and flops onto the bed she plans to sleep in. She picks up the remote from the bedside table and begins a search of something to watch. On the other side of the wall that the t.v. sits on, Ryan lays in his bed also flipping through the channels.

This has been a busy day for the two CSI's. They woke up in Miami only to fly to St. Louis for their latest case involving an arsonist responsible for thirty-five fires in Miami alone. Now he has fled to St. Louis, setting twelve fires so far. This man, Robert Wade, is a cruel man who targets families asleep in their homes. Calleigh and Ryan have followed him, collecting the evidence to extradite him back to Miami.

After deciding that there is nothing good on tv, Calleigh decides to take a shower and call it a night. Once under the stream of warm water, she lets her mind wander a bit. Tomorrow she and Ryan have another eight scenes to process where there will be more victims as well as the scent of burnt flesh lingering in the sooty air. This thought doesn't sit too easily with Calleigh's stomach. Arsons never do for her. Quickly she finishes up her shower then exits the steamy bathroom into her empty hotel room. Her bare feet padding across the teal carpet are the only sound. Calleigh crawls back into bed once again then turns out the light.

No sooner than she closes her eyes, a knocking on a door has them opened again. This knocking is not from the front door; instead it is from a side door on the wall next to the tv. She gets up and unbolts the door to find Ryan standing in the doorway wearing sky blue pajama pants and a silly grin. His hair is wet and messy, like he just showered himself.

" Hey Cal."

"Hey Ryan. Looks like we have ajoining rooms."

" Yeah, separate but ajoining rooms." Ryan smirks.

"Ryan I told you it's nothing personal. You know we're working, and it's against MDPD policy for us to share a room." Calleigh explains

"But what they don't know won't hurt them" Ryan continues, winking suggestively at Calleigh.

"Okay Ryan, good night."

Calleigh starts to close her door, but Ryan sticks his arm in preventing this.

"Calleigh wait. I'm sorry. I was just trying to get you to smile. You seemed so depressed after we left that last scene."

She opens her door fully and takes a step into Ryan's room then stands before him.

"Doesn't it bother you Ryan? When that girl told us how she awoke to her home filled with flames and her family burning alive, I wanted to cry."

"It did bother me, a lot. I can still see her oldest brother burnt up lying feet from the front door, this close to safety. She has nothing now. Her life is ruined."

"How are you dealing with it?" What do you do?"

"I write."

Write what?"

A spark of curiosity fills Calleigh. She looks up at Ryan, her green eyes full of wonder.

"Stories, poems, essays, whatever pops into my head. Just getting it out on paper helps tremendously. I can show you. If you'd like. " Ryan says, suddenly a bit nervous.

"That'd be great." Calleigh smiles back at him.

He goes over to his luggage and removes a black and white composition notebook. Then he sits back down on the bed and motions for Calleigh to do the same. Eagerly, she goes over and sits beside him. Their sides touch as Ryan selects a page then sets the notebook across both of their laps, holding it open with his hand.

"You should like this one. I wrote it after H re-hired me. Getting fired and having everything come crashing down really woke me up inside."

_So Close_

_I teeter on the edge, one foot dangling over, the other not far behind, _

_If I fall I head into the darkness, the unknown, with everything crashing down behind me. _

_The cloud of ruin begins to dust my back, fill my nostrils with the stench of the mess I have made as it drawns upon me. _

_I am now the enemy with nothing left to lose. _

_My other foot leaves the edge, weightlessness begins to overtake me as I fall, slowly at first then gradually accelerating. _

_When suddenly, I feel grounded again, _

_A hand has reached out to save me, _

_My feet grip the earth once more._

_You came to my side when everyone else turned their backs. _

_You pulled me up from the darkness that threatened to pull me down, _

_You swept the dust of ruin under the rug and cleaned up the mess I made,_

_You guided me back to the place when we first met and told me you still care, that you always will, _

_You know deep down I am still the only man you trust._

_For you I am greatful, blessed to have you in my life, _

_And I know it was destined for our paths to intersect then join as one, _

_First in friendship, and soon I hope as more, _

_For these feelings I now feel are on a higher plane, _

_One that only true loves and soulmates share. _

"Oh wow. Ryan. That, that was beautiful. You really feel that way?"

He gently places his right hand on her left one.

"I do. I always will. You saved me Cal. You were what ultimately got my life, my job back.You mean more to me than words can ever say."

For a moment, they just stare at each other. Calleigh starts to speak, but a sudden beeping from the tv steals her attention away from Ryan. They both turn to the television curiously as well as a little perturbed at the thing for interrupting.

"Looks like we won't be getting much sleep tonight." Calleigh finally says.

"Guess not" Ryan adds.

The local news has just interrupted regular programming to inform the viewers that the entire St. Louis area is under both a severe thunderstorm watch along with a tornado watch until 4AM. Severe storms are expected in no more than two hours; they are expected to last through the night, spawning possible tornadoes.

"Ryan, I've never been in a tornado before." Calleigh says uneasily.

"Neither have I, but it's only a watch." Ryan re-assures her.

"We should get some sleep before the storms come. We have another long day tomorrow." Ryan says, getting up to put his notebook away.

"Yeah, we should. Good night Ryan." Calleigh says also getting up, heading for her doorway.

She walks halfway through her door, yet stops. She turns back to Ryan. He zips his suitcase then looks up at her. There is so much she wants to say to Ryan after hearing his poem. She cannot believe he really feels that way. She does too; she wants to tell him so badly now.

" Ryan, I ….. your poem is beautiful. You should show me more- if you want. And know that I will always be there for you, no matter what. You mean the world to me too."

Calleigh really wants to tell him the whole truth, yet she can't- not yet. Her instincts won't let her.

"Of course Cal. I promise. Well, good night."

Ryan is happy he showed Calleigh his work. He knows is was a risk well worth taking.

"Night." Calleigh says, smiling sweetly at Ryan as she leans into the doorway.

She enters her room, gently closing her door behind her. Once again she climbs into her bed and turns out the light. Meanwhile, Ryan leaves his door open before settling in for the night.

Exactly two hours later the first round of storms hit. Lightning sizzles across the night sky followed by thunder. It rumbles lowly at first but soon crescendos into all out crashes. Blinding rain along with a violent wind rips across the terrain soaking everything. Finally the hail comes. It is golf ball sized and pelts everything like rocks raining down.

Lightning strikes a tree a quarter mile from the hotel resulting in a deafening crash of thunder which shakes the ground along with everything on it. The noise startles Calleigh awake instantly. She bolts upright, her body trembling and her heart racing. It is not only the thunder that scared her. She had been in the middle of a nightmare; she was in the lab, it was fully engulfed in flames, and she was trapped. Frantically, she searched for an exit to no avail. Just as she was about to succumb to the flames, the thunder awoke her.

A second crash of thunder almost as close as the first causes Calleigh to jump again. Outside the wind has changed direction causing the rain and hail to now pelt the side of the hotel. Upon hearing this Calleigh turns to the window being pelted by the hail. She fears it might soon break. Thunder crashes violently yet again as a wail of a siren is growing louder outside. Calleigh realizes her heart is still racing and her body is trembling even more now; she is starting to panic.

Now she is out of bed and opening her side door. Ryan's room is pitch black except for when the lightning flashes. That is when she can see his sleeping form on his side across the room. Without hesitation Calleigh darts across Ryan's room to him. She begins to shake him.

"Ryan! Ryan wake up!"

"Uh…. Who's there?"

"Ryan it's Calleigh. Wake up now!"

Ryan is now fully awake. He reaches up and turns on the bedside lamp to see a very frightened Calleigh beside him.

"Cal, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Ryan, can I stay with you? It's just the storm… and a nightmare and…"

"Come here." Ryan says, moving over and making room in his bed for her.

"Are you sure? Maybe I over-reacted just a bit. I can go back to my room if I am bothering you." Calleigh says suddenly ashamed of her brazen question.

"Cal, it's fine. We both need our sleep right? Another eight scenes to process tomorrow."

She nods in agreement then climbs into the warm bed with him. The temptation of comfort is too much to resist. He reaches over her and turns out the light once again then settles in behind her. He could turn over on his back or on the opposite side of her altogether; however, his instinct tells him to stay right where he is. She doesn't change positions either, just scoots closer to him. At this point Ryan decides to be brave; he gently wraps his arms around Calleigh, thus bringing her even closer to him. He fears she might shrug him off and turn over, yet she doesn't. She seems fine with their extremely close proximity. Ryan can feel her trembling subsiding as well as her heartbeat begin to calm, and her wonderful scent is intoxicating to him. In the dark, a smile forms on his lips; hers as well.

Meanwhile, the storm, which has now produced a tornado three miles away rages outside. This does mot faze Ryan and Calleigh. They are too pre-occupied with the present situation. Ryan is too much in awe to fall back asleep. He keeps waiting for this dream of having Calleigh in his arms to be over. He knows that even if this is the only time they are ever this close he will remember every detail of it forever.

Calleigh lay with her head on Ryan's chest listening to the rhythm of his steady heartbeat. It is so soothing. And wrapped in Ryan's arms she feels safe. She notices how securely yet gentle he holds her. At this very moment Calleigh is happy, content, and at peace. Still, there is a very small part of her rational mind that is leery. It is leery of tomorrow and especially of when they get back to Miami. Ryan will definitely want to discuss this night. He will want to know if it meant what she knows it does. He will want to know where they should go from here. Yet Calleigh does not want to think about that now. All she wants is for this storm to never die, daylight to never break, and this moment to never end.

THE END


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: Miami or it's characters.

Author's Note:  First, thanks as always to the wonderful reviews!! And yes, the poem in "Hotel" is all mine. Below is the sequel to "Hotel". This' my first attempt at a multi-chapter fic so let's hope this works.

(title)

Chapter 1: Good Morning

One question. Five words. Fifteen letters. This was all it took for the shift to occur in Ryan and Calleigh's relationship last night when Calleigh asked Ryan if she could stay with him. She was genuinely freaked out as well as scared. Ryan obligued, welcoming Calleigh to his bed. As a result, as the sun now beams down upon the new day, Ryan lay sound asleep with Calleigh in his arms.

Calleigh lay on her side facing Ryan. She woke about ten minutes ago. Since then she was been watching him sleep. He is so content that he is even smiling in his sleep. She gently caresses his face with her hand. He is so warm and soft. Now she lets out a sign then removes her hand from Ryan's face and tucks it close to her own body.

Coming here to Ryan last night was the perfect idea. And that bothers Calleigh. In her lifetime she has seen some of the worst events, yet she has never needed the comfort of another. Until now. She has always been the tough one. Calleigh is Bullet Girl for crying out loud. So why now do things change? Any why with Ryan?

Before she can begin to ponder these questions, the said man holding her close begins to wake.

"Mornin' Cal." Ryan says, opening his eyes.

"Mornin' babe. Sleep well?"

"Like a log. How long've you been awake?"

"Oh, just a few minutes."

Ryan and Calleigh's faces are mere inches apart as they speak. Ryan still has his arms around Calleigh, and he has begun to stroke her hair. All this attention is unnerving to Calleigh who is used to waking up alone.

"Uh Ryan, I think we forgot to set our alarms. I didn't hear mine go off." Calleigh says focusing now on something else.

"You know, I didn't hear mine either. Hold on."

He releases Calleigh then sits up to look at the bedside clock.

"Cal, look at the clock."

She rolls over and looks at the clock in a bit of shock. It is flashing 12:00.

"The storm must've knocked out the power during the night." She continues as she picks up Ryan's watch from the bedside table.

Calleigh rolls back over to face him, her eyes wide.

"It's 8:39 AM. We're almost an hour late for work Ryan."

"Crap. I'll call Lt. Ross and let him know what's up. Then I'll get dressed. You should go get ready too Cal."

"Yeah, but what about breakfast? I'm starving."

"We'll have to grab something on the way to the first scene."

"Okay. Well I guess I'll go start getting ready." Calleigh says finally leaving Ryan's bed.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go call Ross."

Ryan gets out of the bed now too and picks up his cell phone from next to the lamp. As he begins dialing, Calleigh turns and heads for her room. Once in the doorway, she turns back to Ryan. His left hand is on his hip while the right one holds the phone to his ear. He nervously paces the room as he speaks with Lt. Ross, their superior while they are working in St. Louis. Ryan does not notice Calliegh watching him. After a moment she enters her own room intent on getting ready for work but not before an interesting though crosses her mind: too bad we had to get up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hey Cal, you about ready to go?" Ryan asks, standing in the side doorway leading to her room.

"Yeah, just give me a second" she answers.

Ryan walks back into his room buttoning his shirtsleeves as he goes, and sits down on his bed- the bed that Calleigh shared with him last night. He has not made the bed yet, even though he is fighting the urge to do so. Ryan can only sit upon it in the spot where she laid and take in her scent that still lingers on the sheets.

Meanwhile, Calleigh is standing before the mirror over the sink in her room. She is making her third attempt at getting her hair into a perfect ponytail. As she smoothes out the bumps she can still feel Ryan's gentle touch as he ran his fingers through her golden locks early this morning. That memory brings a smile to Calleigh's face; she has never known a man with such a gentle touch.

Finally satisfied with the ponytail, Calleigh wraps the holder around her hair, pulls it tight, and then steps back to check her overall appearance one last time.

"Calleigh, we're gonna be even later!"

Ryan is once again in the doorway. This time he taps his fingers on the doorframe impatiently.

"I'm coming right now!" Calleigh responds.

She turns and heads for the doorway, first stopping to retrieve a file from the nightstand. Ryan is now leaning in the doorway; he smiles as she approaches. He is wearing a mint green shirt. Now Calleigh smiles in realization that so is she.

"Well, let's go already" Calleigh says playfully.

"Cal, we-"

"Yes Ryan, we match."

They exit via Ryan's room with Calleigh in the lead as they head to the elevator at the end of the hallway. The ride down is silent. All either can do is glance over at the other then down at the ground. They make eye contact, albeit only for a second or two. Ryan fidgets with a button on his jacket while Calleigh fusses with her ponytail.

Finally the elevator doors open. Calleigh is out first, doing all she can to appear not to have just bolted free of something uncomfortable. She is across the lobby, outside, across the parking lot, and to their rental car in record time.

"Geeze Calleigh, we're not that late."

"Sorry, I just want to hurry up and incriminate this guy already." Calleigh tries to explain.

"Yeah, me too. He's set close to fifty fires. That's got to be a record." Ryan says as they get into the car.

Calleigh opens the file she's brought with her, searching for the address of their first scene.

"Where to first?" Ryan says noticing this action.

"We are headed to 11426 Old St. Charles Rd."

"Do we have directions?"

"Right here babe."

"Alright. Let's roll."

Twenty minutes later, Ryan and Calleigh approach their first scene of the day. The car ride over wasn't as quiet as the one in the elevator. They didn't really talk though, except for Calleigh giving Ryan directions to the scene and Ryan interpreting them. Police cars and fire trucks have the two lane road completely blocked. Yellow crime scene tape seals off the property surrounding what is left of a three story Victorian house. Ryan parks behind one of the police cars. They get out and are met by Lt. Ross who lets them under the tape.

"Good morning Ryan, Calleigh" Ross says to each of them

"Good morning Lt. Ross." Ryan replies.

Good morning sir" Calleigh replies.

Lt. Ross leads the CSI's towards the remainder of the house. It is nearly burnt to the ground. The chimney is the tallest part of it that is still standing. The windows that are left have been shrewdly boarded up. The air surrounding them is wet, soot-filled and reeks of burnt flesh and wood. They come to a stop at the base of the porch steps. Surprisingly, the wrap around front porch is fairly intact. Lt. Ross turns to face Calleigh and Ryan.

"Here's the plan for today. I need you two to process the house as quickly and as accurately as possible because another round of severe storms is on the way. Don't worry about the other scenes. I called in extra help to process those." Lt. Ross explains

"Yes sir. Is there anything else we should know before we begin?" Calleigh asks.

"Yes. If it starts storming while you are inside the house, you are to exit as fast as possible. The house is safe for now, but if it gets anymore water-logged, the whole thing will collapse. And I and the other officers will be right outside if you need anything."

A uniformed officer approaches Lt. Ross requiring his attention. This is Calleigh and Ryan's cue to get started. Calleigh is first to ascend the charred steps and onto the porch leading to the front doorway. Ryan follows right behind her. Immediately it is known that the fire was very hot. What is left of the siding on the front of the house is melted down it like wax on a candle. There is no front door either, only an opening leading to a black hole. As Calleigh crosses the thresh hold into the house, her feet crunch broken glass. She takes out her flashlight to get a better look then looks behind her. Ryan is right there with her. Everything around them is dark except for the middle of the room where sunlight is beaming down through a gaping hole in the roof. The only sounds are dripping water and their breathing.

Ryan follows close behind Calleigh as they make their way around the first floor. In the darkness, he can't see her too well; he can only feel her presence in front of him radiating amongst the destruction. He can faintly smell her scent of lavender and vanilla mixed in with that of their burnt surroundings as they walk. Suddenly she stops. Something in her flashlight's beam has caught her attention. Ryan, oblivious to this continues walking, and runs right into her knocking her flashlight to the ground.

"Ow! Ryan!"

"Sorry Cal. You okay?" he stammers.

"Yeah, just be more careful of where you're going" Calleigh replies.

"Of course. Why'd you stop?"

"I saw something suspicious."

She picks up her flashlight which's still on, and searches for the spot again.

"Ryan look, right there!"

"That can't be his cane?" Ryan says as they approach the glass object lying on the floor.

"Yep, that's his alright- solid glass with a cobra head for a handle."

"Wow. We so have him now." Ryan says photographing and then bagging the cane.

"This is the most solid evidence yet. Just imagine if there are any prints left on it too" Calleigh says getting excited.

"That'd be- Calleigh, be quiet for a second."

"What is it Ryan?" she whispers, moving closer to him.

"That! The floor!" Ryan yells.

The floor beneath them, oversaturated with water as well as being burnt up, is cracking like thin ice on a pond.

"Calleigh run! Now!"

Ryan starts to lead Calleigh away from the danger, but it is too late. Instantly the cracking turns to collapsing, and Ryan begins to fall through the hole that's just been created. A millisecond prior, he manages to push Calleigh out of the way as the cane flies from his hand; it lies three feet in front of the hole unbroken.

Calleigh feels herself propelled forward a bit then land on her stomach on the soggy floor. A sickening crash fills her ears. She is in the dark as her flashlight went into the hole with Ryan. Raindrops are beginning to fall upon the remains of the house as well as through the gaping hole in the roof once occupied by the sunlight.

It takes Calleigh a second to gather her wits and realize she is now alone. Slowly she climbs to her feet. Pain rises in her left knee as she does. When she touches it, it becomes evident that it is bleeding. Pain is also rising from her left hip; her gun dug into it when she fell, but luckily it didn't go off.

"Ryan! Ryan, where are you!" she calls out.

Falling rain is the only sound she hears.

She turns around and creeps forward a few feet then trips on something: the cane. Now she starts to remember- she and Ryan found the cane then the floor gave way. But where did Ryan go? Calleigh creeps forward a little more: still on solid floor. She moves forward some more.

"Ryan! Please, Ryan, answer me!" she calls out again.

Still, there is no answer.

Again she creeps forward until her foot touches only air. Carefully she kneels down; she is on the edge of the hole. Yet, when she looks down into it, all she sees is black. A sharp breeze blows up through the hole ruffling her hair. It sends chills down her spine. Calleigh begins to call out to Ryan yet again when she remembers her cell phone. She can call him and figure out where he is; however, she soon realizes her phone is busted from her fall.

She lets out a sigh then starts to get up. Calleigh knows she can make it out of the house and get help. Lt. Ross and the other officers are right outside. They have the equipment to get Ryan out. And if not, they can get it from somewhere. She takes a few steps away from the hole then stops abruptly. She tries to move forward a few more steps but finds her feet will not work. Calleigh turns around towards the hole then back again so that her back is to it. Still she can't walk any further.

Suddenly it hits her as to why. Calleigh cannot leave Ryan down there all alone. She can't leave him, not after all they've been through, all he's done for her, and not after last night, especially not after that. Ryan opened his heart to her last night. He got past her walls. Ryan is inside Calleigh now, and as much as it scares her, she cannot run; she cannot leave him.

Instead she goes back to the hole and kneels down on the edge of it. Now she turns and puts her legs down over the edge so that she is dangling. As she does, the sharp wood on the jagged edge cuts into her hands sending blood trickling down her arms. She takes a deep breath then lets go, falling into the darkness of the hole.

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Calleigh hits the dirt floor hard and lands with a painful thud on her hands and knees. At least she hasn't landed on Ryan. She is in even more darkness now; the air is quite a bit cooler as well. For a few seconds she stays on the floor trying to gather her wits and fight back the new wave of pain racking her body. The pain is more intense now. It brings tears to Calleigh's eyes.

Above, a pouring rain is now falling, lightning is sizzling across the sky, and thunder is rumbling. The wind is beginning to whip up, shredding the yellow tape around the house. All of the officers on the scene are now scurrying to get to a drier place. It is mass chaos as cars are starting, people dashing in between raindrops, and people yelling over the thunder. Lt. Ross is amongst all of this, helping as best he can to get everyone out of there.

Back down in the cellar, Calleigh crawls around in the darkness, searching for Ryan. The dampness in the earthen floor stings both the cuts in her hands and the gash in her knee; however, she is doing her best to ignore this pain. This pain is only physical. The pain she will feel if she fails to find Ryan will be far worse.

"Ryan! Ryan!" Calleigh beings calling again.

"Please Ryan, I know you're down here!"

To her right, a barely audible moan is heard.

"Ryan, is that you?"

She hears the moan again and heads towards it. Calleigh comes upon a pile of ruble that includes her flashlight- it still works! Yet, the sight before her when she turns it on makes her heart ache.

"Whose car is this? Somebody move it so we can get this road opened!" Lt. Ross yells at the mass of officers who are leaving the scene.

There is a dark blue Impala in the eastbound lane of Old St. Charles Road. Lt. Ross looks it over but does not recognize it as an official vehicle. It doesn't have lights or sirens, and the plates are standard issue.

"I believe it's the Miami CSI's sir!" An officer yells over the storm, answering Ross' question.

You Mean Calleigh and Ryan?" Lt. Ross asks him.

"Yes sir!"

Did you, didn't anyone see them come out of the house?"

The officers all turn and look at each other questioningly.

"We thought they left already sir! We didn't hear or see anything in the house so we just assumed they left already!" the officer continues.

"Shit. Okay, everyone back to the house! Now!" Lt. Ross orders.

Ryan lay on his back amongst the pile of ruble on the cellar floor. He is semi-conscious, having suffered a concussion. Calleigh props the flashlight up so both of them are illuminated then goes to work at removing ruble from Ryan's body. His arms are pinned down by a piece of a support beam lying across him. His left leg is free, yet chunks of tile totally cover his right. His shirt is torn revealing prominent cuts and bruises on his abdomen.

"Ryan babe, I'm gonna get you out. Don't worry."

Calleigh's tone is calm and steady despite the fear that is steadily growing inside of her. Ryan gazes at her with his head cocked to the side and a dazed look on his face as she works. It is now that Calleigh realizes he's suffered a concussion as well.

Finally, Ryan's body is free of the debris. Calleigh kneels beside him and gently takes his face in her hands.

"You're hurt" Ryan says softly

He is obviously aware of the injuries to her hands. She just smiles at him. He is hurt far worse then she, yet he is worried about her.

"I'll be fine. Just tell me Ryan, where do you hurt?"

Ryan looks at Calleigh intently as he ponders the question for a moment.

"My head. Concussion probably. My back."

"Can you move your arms and legs?"

"Yeah."

"That's great babe."

Tears are rising in Calleigh's eyes as she speaks. It is breaking her heart to see Ryan in this condition. She takes her hand and softly strokes his hair.

"Ryan, we are going to get outta here. We just have to find a way."

"I know Cal. We will" Ryan responds.

A loud rumbling stops the mass of officers advancing on the house. They are about ten feet from it. At first they think the sound is thunder, but it is different. It shakes the ground harder than thunder, and the storm is dying down. Suddenly there is a deafening crash, then a snap, then another crash. Dust rises up from the house.

"Sir, the house is collapsing!" an officer yells.

"What should we do sir?" another asks Lt. Ross.

"I'm gonna call Search and Rescue! Everyone just stay put until they get here!" Ross yells as he takes out his cell phone and begins dialing.

"No! No, not this too!" Calleigh yells, looking up at the hole they fell through.

She and Ryan can feel the vibrations from the collapsing house through the earthen floor beneath them. Pieces of debris are beginning to rain down upon them. Ryan is attempting to sit up.

"Calleigh, we gotta move."

"I know. Let me help you."

She takes a hold of Ryan and together they scramble as best they can for a place to hide. On the far wall, there is a workbench with enough space underneath for them to crawl under. Calleigh helps Ryan under then gets under herself.

It seems like forever until the entire house is down. Piece after piece of the burnt house crashes down towards the cellar, shaking the ground when it lands. In the meantime, Calleigh and Ryan lay huddled under the workbench with their eyes shut tight. Neither of them says a word. They just listen and wait for the crashing to stop.

**Author's Note: **Chapter 5 is in the works. I am just deciding on an ending (maybe, it could go into chapter 6 as this story has taken on a life of its own). Yes, another cliffhanger, but stick with me, all will be well soon enough. And thanks for all the wonderful reviews!!


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Search and Rescue arrives just as the last piece of the house comes tumbling down. The storm has since died out. Sunlight is breaking through the clouds left in the sky. A rainbow spans the sky above the scene.

"Lt. Ross, what do we have?" asks Capt. Martin of Search and Rescue.

"We have two CSI's trapped in there" Ross says, pointing at the rubble that was the house.

"Do you know where sir?" Capt. Martin asks.

"Unfortunately, no." Lt. Ross answers, looking down at the ground.

"Well, we have the dogs here so if you can get us a scent they can find them."

"Yes! That's it- the car! Hold on a second!"

Lt. Ross runs to the Impala still parked on the street. He uses the butt of his gun to smash the rear passenger window. Calleigh's jacket is lying on the backseat. Lt. Ross grabs it then sprints back to Capt. Martin.

"Here, this has their scent!" He says handing the jacket to Capt. Martin.

Capt. Martin shows the purple jacket to a pair of golden retrievers then tells them to sniff. He leads them over to the rubble and has them sniff it again. Now he commands them to "Go" and they dive into the rubble, noses down. Capt. Martin is right with them as they work.

All there is now is silence and darkness. The crashing has stopped and the dust settled. Debris is totally covering the workbench that Calleigh and Ryan are huddled under.

Calleigh, are you okay?" Ryan asks, finally speaking.

"Yeah. You? She replies.

"I'm better than this house is."

Calleigh cannot help but to laugh at his comment. Leave it to Ryan to try to be funny right now.

"Ryan, how long do you think it will take them to find us?"

"Not long. I know they're looking for us right now."

"Ryan."

"Yes Calleigh."

"Um…what if…Ryan, what if they don't? We can't die here, not now."

"Cal, don't think like that. Ross would never leave us behind."

"But what if we run out of air before they get to us?"

Ryan can sense Calleigh's tough side beginning to break apart. As she speaks, the fear he knows she's been hiding is seeping through the cracks in her voice.

"Calleigh, listen to me. We are not going to die. We're going to get outta here, put our arsonist on a plane to Miami, go home ourselves, and then put his ass in jail."

His tone is firm yet re-assuring. He pulls Calleigh to him as he speaks. She remains quiet, though she doesn't pull away from him.

"Cal, you hear me?"

"Yeah" is her faint response.

Calleigh cannot say another word. She fears that if she does, she will lose it. She will bawl, sob, and maybe even scream. As much as she wants to just let it all out, she doesn't. Calleigh cannot break down in front of Ryan, not even in the darkness surrounding them. So she remains silent hoping he is right and help will come soon.

"What is it boys? Whatcha got?" Capt. Martin asks the dogs.

The dogs are stopped at one particular spot amongst the rubble. They are barking loudly and circling the spot- all indications that someone is there. Capt. Martin kneels down and gets to work. Moving quickly he removes the rubble by hand, tossing it over his shoulder as he goes.

His efforts unearth the top of a workbench. Now, he moves so that he is standing on top of it and begins clearing rubble away from the sides. Underneath him, Calleigh and Ryan are blinded by light as a crucial piece is removed and daylight streams through. The dogs stick there heads into the hole, barking like crazy.

Capt. Martin gets off the top of the workbench, and stands to the side. There is one last piece of debris until Calleigh and Ryan can crawl out from under the bench. They can see the dogs' faces, and excitedly, they each pet them.

"Ryan its Search and Rescue! We're gonna get out!"

"I know Cal! I know!"

"Hey, you guys must be the Miami CSI's. I'm Capt. Martin. Can you get out on your own?" Martin says as he frees the final piece.

"Yeah. Here we come," Calleigh says as she crawls out.

Once out, she turns and helps Ryan out. Then they along with the dogs climb back over the rubble and onto the lawn where the EMT's are waiting patiently. All of the officers stand in awe that they have survived, let alone walked out on their own. The paramedics rush over to Calleigh and Ryan. They are loaded onto stretchers and

taken to the hospital.

**Author's Note: **Okay, I've got one more chapter to go. I want to tie up the loose ends with Calleigh and Ryan's "relationship." It'll be up soon. And the thanks continue for all the excellent reviews!!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Boeing 767 slips through the thick clouds and into the rainy Miami sky. It descends lower and lower towards the metropolitan area below. It is late afternoon, just before the start of rush hour. Calleigh has the window seat on this flight, and Ryan is to her left sound asleep. He has been the entire flight. Calleigh is physically exhausted as well, yet there is far too much on her mind for her to sleep. The one thing she isn't worried about is their current case. Their arsonist has already landed in Miami; he is currently eating his first meal as an inmate. All that is left is Calleigh and Ryan's testimony at his trial in a few weeks.

There is a gentle bump as the plane touches down. Quickly it slows to a light bouncing on the tarmac as they now head for their gate. Calleigh nudges Ryan awake. He opens his eyes and smiles at her; she returns the smile. When Ryan looks at Calleigh now, there is a sparkle in his eyes that wasn't there before this trip. The first time Calleigh noticed this was yesterday at the hospital. They were side by side in the ER as the doctors fussed over their injuries. While one stitched Calleigh's left knee, she had her head turned away, towards Ryan. At that moment he locked eyes with her. With that one look, Calleigh saw the sparkle in Ryan's eyes come to life, and it felt as if their whole being shifted. Ryan now steps into the aisle of the airplane to retrieve their carry-ons. He doesn't give Calleigh hers, but instead he carries it too as they make their way off the plane and towards the baggage claim.

Throughout the seemingly endless trek from their gate to the baggage claim, Ryan and Calleigh are silent. As the walk they look at each other every few seconds and smile. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the crowded airport around them, Calleigh and Ryan are off in their own world where nothing matters except that the other is here, and where the words they will soon speak will close the remaining gap between them, making it known to the world the feelings their eyes have always known.

After gathering their luggage, they head for Ryan's car which he left at the airport.

"Ryan, I feel bad that you're carrying everything."

"Don't worry about Cal. I know it'll hurt your hands if you try to carry your bag."

Calleigh looks down at her bandaged hands. Unlike with her knee, the cuts on her hands did not require any stitches to close. Now, she looks back over at Ryan.

"At least I have a man who's strong" she smirks.

Immediately Calleigh realizes how that sounded. But, before she can say anything else, Ryan does.

"So you have a new man now, huh? Bet he's not as strong or as hot as me" Ryan smirks back.

He too realized how Calleigh's statement sounded, yet he knows now is not the time to get serious about it.

"No way babe" Calleigh replies, relieved that Ryan's playing it off.

They are now at Ryan's car. He loads the luggage into the trunk while Calleigh waits in the passenger seat. A wave of exhaustion and jetlag is taking over having walked all that way here. All she wants to do is go home, put on her pajamas, and crawl into her bed. Calleigh's thoughts stall out at this- her bed, her cold, lonely bed where she will sleep alone. Ryan now gets in and starts the car.

"You ready to go home Cal?"

"Yes, let's go."

Her mind flashes back to two days ago when she stayed the night in Ryan's bed. She can't help but smile at the thought of his warm self behind her, with his arms holding her securely. Until that night, Calleigh had been able to ignore the loneliness that stung at her every night as she got into her empty bed. It was that same loneliness that made her even more afraid when she was awoken in the middle of the night by a nightmare. But, she couldn't just ask Ryan to stay with her so she wouldn't be lonely. Could she?

"Ryan, can we talk?"

Her voice is nearly an octave higher as she speaks. She knew they would have to talk about the events of that night; however, Calleigh is afraid of this talk. It can change everything. Still, she is going to give it a try for the sake of she and Ryan's relationship along with the fact that they have to work together.

"Sure. What's up?"

Normally an easy question, this time the words out of Ryan's mouth are more loaded than a machine gun. So many thoughts are racing through Calleigh's mind as he asks that question. She has to start this at exactly the right spot so it all comes out right.

"First, Ryan let me say how incredibly happy I am that you-we, made it out of that rubble alive and that you're okay. Granted, I did have doubt for a split second, but you said we'd make it out. And we did."

Upon finishing this, Calleigh reaches over and lays her hand gently on Ryan's shoulder. To her surprise, Ryan reaches over with his left hand and lays it on hers on his shoulder.

"Calleigh, so am I. You don't even know how much. There is one thing I'm curious about though."

"What is it Ryan?"

"Why did you jump down the hole after me? It would have been much easier for you to get back out of the house and get me help than come yourself. Not that I'm complaining though."

Just as Calleigh is about to answer, her phone starts ringing. Ryan lets go of her hand so she can answer it. After a second he can tell it is Horatio. They speak for seven minutes. This he can tell by the clock on his dashboard. In the meantime, he reaches Calleigh's house. He pulls into her driveway and kills the engine.

Calleigh closes her phone and turns back to Ryan.

"That was H. Due to our little adventure, he is giving us three days off to rest and recooperate. And he'll be by tomorrow morning to see how we're doing."

"Resting sounds so great right now" Ryan adds.

"Okay Ryan, back to your question. Yes, it may have been easier for me to go get you help. But…but Ryan I couldn't leave you. No matter what I couldn't leave you down there. I called to you but you didn't answer. It scared me so much. I didn't know if you were dead or alive or if I'd ever see you again. And I'm glad I jumped because when that house fell on us I was glad I was with you and not outside. No way could I handle being outside with the house on top of you and you in the rubble all alone."

Tears have begun streaming down Calleigh's face while she is speaking. Yet this time she doesn't care; Calleigh is tired of holding back. She just cannot do it anymore. Ryan begins to speak and Calleigh stops him. There is more she needs to say. So instead he takes a hold of her bandaged hands the best he can while looking her in the eye.

"Ryan, I…"

Those three words, the words that Calleigh has felt since the moment she found Ryan laying amongst the rubble on the cellar floor, are on the tip of her tongue. She desparately wants to say them now; however, she has never felt them so strong than she does right now with Ryan. It scares her, and it exhilarates her at the same time. Calleigh looks to Ryan's eyes for guidance. They tell her to go on, don't be afraid that he feels it too.

"Ryan, I love you. I cannot live without you."

With one motion, Ryan lets go of her hands, undoes her seatbelt, then brings her to him in a great embrace. He turns his head and whispers in her ear loud enough for only her to hear.

"Calleigh I love you too, more than life itself."

With this, she pulls back a bit and just looks at him. This is so wonderful it is almost unreal. Tears are falling from his eyes too. He takes his hand and caresses her cheek; he moves his face closer to hers. Calleigh knows what he is about to do.

"Ryan wait. Let's go inside. Okay?"

"Of course."

They both scramble out of the car. Ryan opens the trunk to get Calleigh's luggage as she unlocks her front door.

"Grab yours too" Calleigh says, turning her head to him.

He throws her a confused look. She pushes the door open then walks up and stands before him.

"Ryan, stay with me."

"Are you sure?" he asks, making sure she is certain of her request.

"I've never been more certain of anything but this." Calleigh says as she wraps her arms around Ryan's waist, pulling him close to her.

The second she finishes speaking, it clicks in Ryan's mind. Calleigh is not asking him to stay just to keep her company tonight. She is asking him to stay with her forever because she loves him too. Ryan almost asks Calleigh to repeat herself; he is awestruck as well as happy- the happiest he has ever been. Her question is an easy one to answer.

"I will stay with you Calleigh no matter what."

They stay wrapped in each other's arms for a moment before separating. Ryan grabs their luggage that he placed upon the driveway a moment ago. Calleigh loops her arm through his. She guides him into her house then closes the door behind them.

THE END


End file.
